Finnish countryside home and sheepfarm in 'middle of nowhere' Näljänkä, Finland

Finland

Favourited 260 times

Host rating
Feedback
7
Last activity
15/01/2021
Reply rate
51.6 %
Average reply time:
within 16 days
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Availability

2021

Min stay requested: 1 month or more

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Description
Hello! I'm 35 years old lady studying to be an electrician. I'm living in a farm where lives 60 sheep's, three cows, 5 dogs (border collie) and 2 cats. I need help to watch over the animals when I'm away from home studying and taking care of the household (including warming up the house with firewood, cleaning up around the house, cooking meals).

Traveling to my place is easiest when you take a bus to Taivalkoski or Suomussalmi. I can pick you up from there. To Taivalkoski bus is coming from Oulu and to Suomussalmi from Kajaani.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Farmstay help
Help around the house
Animal Care
Language practice
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve
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What's this?
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
My small sheep farm is located in Northern Finland, in the middle of woods with beautiful hilly landscape. If you are looking a place in the middle of nowhere, this is place for you! Here is only the nature and the silence around you :)
At my place you are able to get to know traditional Finnish way of living in the countryside.
Help
Help needed on feeding and taking care of animals, (sheeps, cows, dogs cats) and helping inside the house (cleaning and preparing meals).
In summer we raise vegetables and herbs for our own use. Berries and mushrooms we can pick up from our forest. We have small lake on our farm where you can go fishing perch, roach and pike. Our goal is to get as much as possible on subsistence economy whit our food. In summertime our farm animals are pasturing and our job is to harvest hay and silage for the winter. At September we take animals back to barn and start mating season on November for ewes and rams. At April lams are born. Summertime jobs are harvesting feed, building fences for the animals, repairing buildings and making firewood.

Workawayers will be taking part on daily routines, like giving hay and water to sheep's, feeding dogs and cats. Helping in side house includes vacuuming and swiping floors. Also cooking for everyone includes.
In that time when I'm at my school you will be watching over for the dogs (and play with them also). It is very easy because you only have to let them go out and come back in the house.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Finnish: Fluent
Accommodation
Room inside the house, if more than one volunteer, shared room.
Food is free, and free to use in the house. Sweets, alcohol and other goodies do not include.
What else ...
Activities you can do here are hiking, walking in the nature, skiing, snowshoeing, fishing, camping and ice fishing. Snow comes around December and melts down in April.
House includes little gym/ballroom, so you are able to take care you daily exercise routine also during your visit.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have 4G internet access, speed around 30Mbps. Every room where volunteers stay, have space for laptop.
Space for parking camper vans
No limits, only limited is amount of electricity how much we can provide for free.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 3-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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Feedback left by and about host (7)

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)

Cultural exchange:
(5.0)

Communication:
(5.0)

29/12/2020

Left by Workawayer (Alexandre) for host

I don't have the words to describe my stay at Tom and Saijia's place.
They are incredibly nice, they have 6 lovely dogs waiting for you to play or to go on a walk with them.
Taking care of the animals was always a pleasure.
Näljänkä is in the middle of nowhere but I can promise you that you won't get bored easily at this place !
Defenetly my… read more

(Excellent )

19/12/2020

Left by Workawayer (Simone) for host

I stayed at Saijas and Toms farm for 2,5 weeks and I enjoyed every minute of it. They are very nice people and always helpful, the farm is beautiful, the animals are fun to work with and everything was just lovely. The work was very easy to do and we had a lot of free time, which we mostly spent in the sauna, the hot tub or outside in the… read more

(Excellent )

16/08/2020

Left by Workawayer (Krzysztof) for host

I spent over 3 weeks at Saija's farm and enjoyed my time there. Most of the days we would do various tasks like cleaning in the sheep barn or the cowhouse, constructing or deconstructing things with an electric screwdriver, laying down hay blocks, and others. During my stay I was able to tick some things off my bucket list, like going to a sauna… read more

(Very good )

23/06/2020

Left by Workawayer (Anna) for host

I spent 3 weeks on Saijas beautiful farm and only have good things to say about my experience there. Taking care of the animals daily is quite easy and it was always fun to do, especially the lambs I will miss a lot. The 5 dogs are wonderful and friendly and it was always nice to play and cuddle with them. Other work I did around the farm, like… read more

(Excellent )

10/05/2020

Left by Workawayer (Camila) for host

I had a lovely experience in Saija’s farm, I stayed more than two months there. I took care of the animals, feeding them and helping in what was need.
She have 5 dogs and two cats, all of them very friendly.
Taking care of the lambs was my favorite part and I will miss the little ones so much! It was the hardest part for me, say goodbye to them.… read more

(Excellent )

16/01/2020

Left by Workawayer (Cahide) for host

It was so nice to become a quest of Saija. I stayed 2 weeks at Saija's beautiful farm. There were cute lots of sheeps, a cow, calves, chickens, cats and dogs. Previously I used to beware of dogs, now I don't. I learned to share life with them. My informations about animal increased. After a while they became a part of me.

The farm location was… read more

(Excellent )

16/01/2020

Left by Workawayer (Simona & Nicolas) for host

Wonderful experience!
We arrived in Finland in the middle of October, it was the first couple experience abroad and the first time we used Workaway!
After a very long travel we finally arrived In taivalkoski, where saija (our host) and Tom, her boyfriend, were waiting for us.
After 45 minutes driving, we arrived in the house that would have been… read more our new home for the next 3 months.
When came home, we found a wonderful view in a big farm in the middle of nature and 5 super energetic border collie (Taiquiri, Paniki, Pina, Luti and Tahavo).
Our room was really spacious, with a big window and the beautiful forest through it. First day of work: Saija, an incredible person, always helpful and really caring, showed us which were the works we where supposed to do during our permanence.
We had to take care everyday of the animals.. 1 petcow called aurora, 2 baby cows, 4 rams and more than 60 sheep.
Everyday, morning and evening we were in charge of giving hay to the cows and rams and every 3/4 day with Saija’s help, 3 big hay blocks to the sheep.
Naturally, our experience was besides animals care , cause as you can imagine, in a farm the things to do are always much like chopping woods, fix things, tide up the work area and, we’ll if you want and like DO you will certainly find something to do.
In addiction, we also had the chance to reorganize the house, the kitchen and Saija’s bedroom and to be honest we had quite fan doing it together ;).
Also during the common moments, we couldn’t be bored also cause we weren’t just 4 but 9, yes cause the dogs have beautiful personalities and they’re integrant part of the family (they made us laugh many and many times, you’ll see it).
Apart from this, we also helped cleaning and vacuuming the house and clean the common areas but trust us, the
Relax wasn’t missed thanks to the sauna, hot top that assisted us in cold journeys.
During free time we liked walk with the dogs in the forest and of course in the iced lake (where we did also ice fishing with Tom 😍).
We loved listening the nature and hear silence.
Really, it’s a wonderful experience that everyone should have, not only for the wonderful place but most of all, for the people we found. They made this experience unique and unforgettable.
During this 3 months we could learn about local culture, Finland but also about us, it was a challenge of course but after all we gained more Thant what we expected.
Let’s say, try and you’ll see, make your luggage and you really won’t regret it.
Thank you so much,
Your friends and admirers,
Simona and Nik

(Excellent )

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Host ref number: 621791893342

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